Every day millions of Americans take precautionary steps to combat everyday illness. Some the most common overlooked places for deadly germs to lurk – which could also be found inside your loved one’s nursing home – include:

Soap Dispensers

You might think that a soap dispenser would be one of the last places that germs could be lurking, but one study found that 25% of soap dispensers in public restrooms have fecal bacteria on them.

Buttons

One study found that buttons found on ATMs, beverage machines, and even keyboards at your public library (among other things), are located in areas that are not often cleaned or disinfected to kill bacteria and viruses.

Beds

More than 84 percent of beds in U.S. homes host dust mites, which can also include nursing homes. They feed mainly on the tiny flakes of human skin that people shed each day. These flakes work their way deep into the inner layers of furniture and bedding, as these are the places where mites thrive. An average adult person may shed up to 1.5 grams of skin in a day. This is enough to feed one million dust mites!

Shower Curtains

The bottom of a shower curtain has a tendency to discolor with use, and germy shower components – like soap scum – can attach themselves to the vinyl. So it is no surprise that vinyl shower curtains breed potential pathogens, which are known to cause infection. Plus, it has been proven that the force of the shower spray will make germs take flight!

Any medical professional will tell you the same thing: germs are everywhere. But not to fear! A few precautionary steps – like using disinfectant wipes, regularly washing your hands, and keeping your hands away from your face – should be more than enough to avoid illnesses, viruses and deadly germs lurking in our midst.

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If you have been physically harmed by a negligent party in a nursing home, please schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with Salter & Ferguson by filling out our contact form. Your submission will be relayed through our firm’s secure servers, and the information you supply is treated as confidential.